In
the ongoing paradigm shift from a culture of conscience to a culture of
consensus, where the word of the group rather than of the Word of God
determines one’s feelings, beliefs and values, it is becoming
increasingly clear that we have made polls and surveys the new measure of
our morality, worth and progress here in America. Be it in print, on
radio, TV or online, more and more media organizations are polling their
readers and viewers to get opinions on what is right and wrong in our
world today and how we should address it.

There
is even a Christian organization called Barna Research Online that surveys
individuals on matters of faith to help guide and inform the church and
those who lead it. Many Christian authors, columnists, pastors and
publishers regularly quote Barna’s findings in their books, articles,
sermons and periodicals. On their home page they proudly bill themselves
as “Strategic Information You Can Trust.” Isn’t it a pity that only
a fraction of Christians today consider their bibles to be worthy of such
acclaim? If that sounds unrealistic and you would like to get a
“consensus” on the issue, read Barna’s October 8th, 2002 installment
entitled:

However,
if you’re someone given more to scripture than survey, then 2nd Timothy
4:3-4 should suffice.

"For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after
their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be
turned unto fables."

One
of the many problems with polls is that they involve something the bible
considers foolish – self-discovery. But don’t make the mistake of
thinking self-ism is just a liberal thing. Today’s conservatism of
“self-reliance” and “self-sufficiency” can be just as immoral and
abusive as liberalism in the absence of love, grace, mercy and humility
– narcissistically boasting of God, yet bearing no fruit.

“A
fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover
itself.” – Proverbs 18:2

This
is what the new age is all about – finding, evaluating and empowering
oneself. The world is awash in fig-leaf religions and vainglory visions
that sprang from the tepid faith of personal experience and
self-discovery. What many Christians seem to have forgotten, particularly
those from today’s psychological church, is that the Word of God was
given because we, along with Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, are incapable of
accurately assessing ourselves and the world around us without Divine
wisdom. To even attempt such a thing is not only foolish, but also
arrogant and dangerous. Unfortunately, in today’s market-driven madness,
deferring to biblical absolutes is no longer considered prudent or
profitable. In the 21st century, success is measured in size and stature
because that is all the eye can see.

“Every
way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the
heart.” -- Proverbs 21:2

And
like all things prideful and disobedient, the seductive nature of polling,
consensus and self-discovery ultimately ends up deceiving and destroying
those who both lead and follow in it’s execution – the first being
Lucifer, who fell from Heaven taking a consensus of opposition with him
– a third of the angels.

If
you haven’t noticed, there is a sickening sweetness and superficiality
about Christianity today -- where scripturally shallow believers armed
with little more than personal experience and self-discovery are patting
each other on the back at God’s expense – “loving” the lost to
death with flattery and frivolity while disavowing inconvenient scriptures
that boldly address unrepentant sin. I guess it’s just too hard on the
numbers to be that honest at church anymore.

“Most
men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can
find?” -- Proverbs 20:6

What
came first – the opinion or the poll? When the dialectic is at work
it’s almost impossible for those who have traded God’s absolutes for
group acceptance to identify the manipulation they are under. Surveys,
like consensus, are more often than not, used to SHAPE public opinion
rather than TAKE public opinion. And until we understand just how
deceptive the consensus process is and how it is used against us in every
segment of society, including the church, we will not recognize the
perilous road we are on.

Paul
Proctor, a rural resident of the Volunteer state and seasoned veteran
of the country music industry, retired from showbiz in the late 1990's
to dedicate himself to addressing important social issues from a distinctly
biblical perspective. As a freelance writer and regular columnist for
News With Views, he extols the wisdom and truths of scripture through
commentary and insight on cultural trends and current events. His articles
appear regularly on a variety of news and opinion sites across the internet
and in print. Paul may be reached at watchman@usa.com.